Unexpected Candidate in Local Election Causes Stir
In a surprising turn of events, an 83-year-old grandmother from Long Island, Maria Delgado, was unaware that she was listed as a candidate for mayor on the Working Families Party ballot. Despite this, she managed to garner over 1,100 votes, which could significantly influence the outcome of a closely contested election.
Election officials are actively seeking clarification after Delgado, a Republican, found herself in the spotlight following an election where the Democratic challenger, Cooper Macko, nearly lost to incumbent Ed Smith by a narrow margin of just over 600 votes.
When approached about her unexpected “candidacy,” Delgado laughed and exclaimed, “I had no idea,” expressing her surprise at the news.
Her daughter, Linda, who had to act as an interpreter since her mother isn’t fluent in English, reacted incredulously when informed of the situation, asking, “Are you kidding me or something?”
The election’s unofficial results indicated that Delgado’s votes amounted to about 3%, which could have altered the election’s conclusion altogether. Linda called the entire situation “unbelievable” and raised questions about who would have registered her mother to run for a party that seems to align left of the standard Democratic platform.
Conversely, Democrats claim there’s nothing unusual at play here, accusing Republican operatives of strategically manipulating the Working Families Party lines—a tactic known as party raiding. They assert that this tactic aims to confuse voters and siphon votes away from Democratic candidates.
Rich Schaefer, chair of the Suffolk Democratic Party, criticized the situation, stating, “Maria Delgado is a despicable candidate, and she probably doesn’t even know she’s a candidate.” He emphasized that these tactics have been employed in Huntington for several election cycles and advocated for reform in the electoral process.
Shoshana Hershkowitz, co-chair of the Suffolk County Working Families Party, similarly expressed her confusion regarding Delgado’s candidacy, noting she had not been vetted for endorsement by the party. In reality, the Working Families Party had already supported Macko but was compelled to have a primary election when Delgado filed a petition, collecting the necessary signatures to launch her campaign.
She asserted, “A group of corrupt individuals petitioned the ballot and forced a primary, and unfortunately they won the primary.”
Members of the Suffolk Working Families Party have long accused Republicans of re-registering during primaries to bypass party rules and place candidates on the ballot who do not align with the party’s values. Currently, about 650 residents are registered as Working Families Party voters in Huntington.
Interestingly, data from the State Board of Elections indicates a roughly 4% rise in Working Families registration, adding 167 new voters since last year. Party leaders suspect this surge may also include Republicans re-registering to infiltrate the party and manipulate primaries.
As of now, the Huntington Republican Committee has chosen not to address these allegations. It remains to be seen what repercussions will follow from this unusual incident.
